Surface mount technology (SMT) is commonly used to produce electronic circuits, in which components or “packages” are mounted or placed directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs) or printed wiring boards (PWBs). Typically, in situations where multiple packages are to interface with a heat sink, leads extending from the packages are soldered to a circuit board and the packages are supported above the circuit board for underfill by an adhesive, which secures the packages to the circuit board. Because this process can result in uneven package heights from the circuit board, heat transfer surfaces of the packages can be unaligned in a common plane for interfacing with a heat sink. To remedy this dimensionally variable thermally resistive space, a gap filler material can be applied to the packages to build up sacrificial material that can be ground and/or lapped to form heat transfer surfaces that are aligned in a common plane.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.